Thelma Jean Boehne, 95, of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, died peacefully at home on June 9. Although her servant’s heart has now stopped beating, her legacy of devotion to family, church, and the community lives on. “I would like to be remembered as kind and good,” she said in a video interview more than 20 years ago. Thelma was born at home – before the doctor arrived – on August 13, 1930 near Grant’s Lick, KY. She grew up in a farming family in the early days of the Great Depression. In one of her favorite old photographs, Thelma and her older sister, Rosalee, are standing outside the farmhouse in winter coats that clearly had been mended and patched many times over. A wooly young lamb, who the girls had adopted as a playmate, appears to be the warmest one in the picture. Inside the house, there was no electricity, telephone or toilet. “We didn’t have an indoor bathroom. We had a path” (to the outhouse), she said. Teamwork was learned early. The whole family – including Thelma, Rosalee and their little sister Linda Ruth – bailed hay, hoed the garden, fed chickens, milked cows and tended to the cash crop, tobacco, which provided most of the family’s monetary return. When she was six, the one-room schools in the area closed and the students, including first-grader Thelma, reported to the brand-new Grant’s Lick Elementary school. She later graduated from Campbell County High School in the class of 1948. A group of friends from her graduating class continues to meet for lunch once a month. The group has naturally shrunk over the years. Thelma last attended the now-small gathering a few weeks before her passing. Following high school, she finished one year at Georgetown College (KY) so she could be a teacher. She taught first grade for several years at Grant’s Lick Elementary and then taught kindergarten for a year at the former Park Avenue School in Newport, KY. She met her husband of 65 years, Albert Boehne, a World War II veteran, at an event near the farms where their families lived in Northern Kentucky. After dating for most of a year, Al offered Thelma an engagement ring while sitting in a car outside a Frisch’s restaurant. They married on a blistering hot day in June of 1954 at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church and then moved to Fort Thomas, KY, to be closer to the factory where Al worked in Norwood, OH. He died in early 2020. “We lead a quiet life,” she once said of her marriage. “We don’t carouse.” Thelma and Al had two children, Rich born in 1956 and Mary in 1959. Thelma worked at home to raise them until the early 1970s when she returned to education as a teaching assistant at Woodfill Elementary School in Fort Thomas. She served the students there for 19 years before retirement. Along the way, she was twice Woodfill’s PTA president and held numerous volunteer roles at the school. Her five grandchildren benefitted from her teacherly ways. Many games at her house were deceptively educational. The books she read to them – and they later read to her – are now well-worn but still being enjoyed by the next generation. “I hope they all turn out to be good citizens,” she said of her grandchildren in the 2002 interview. Her hopes were realized as they became adults and the parents of her great-grandchildren. From 1954 until her death, she was a dedicated member of First Baptist Church of Fort Thomas. From the choir to the kitchen and everywhere in between, she served as an eager and organized worker among the flock. For years in retirement, she also volunteered at the Baptist Life retirement community and nursing home in Newport, KY, and later at a new facility, The Seasons, in Alexandria, KY. Having been raised on a farm, she appreciated all good things that rise from the warm ground each spring. Late in life and battling cancer, her doctor asked her what she hoped to do in the approaching summer after recovering from surgery. “I want to get down on my knees,” she said, “and get my hands in the dirt.” She did, and did again in the next few summers before her body could do no more. In addition to her husband, Al, she was preceded in death by her parents, Chester Ralph and Ruby Grace Moore; her sister Rosalee (Alan) Nagel; her niece Jean (Roger) Lillie; her nephew George (Cheryl) Torline; and her great-granddaughter Lola Patitucci. She is survived by her sister Linda Ruth (Gary) Belcher; daughter Mary (Tim) Slaughter; son Rich (Lisa Graybeal) Boehne; grandchildren Alison (Mike) Patitucci; Kate (Daniel) Trotier; Kelly (Jarrod) Williams; Luke (Courtney Codina) Boehne; and Jacob (Adalia Powell) Boehne; and five great-grandchildren Adelaide, Elijah, Mallory, Sloane, and Sophia; plus numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be from 10:30 until noon on Monday, June 15, at Dobbling Funeral Home, 106 S. Fort Thomas Avenue, Ft. Thomas, KY 41075. A service will begin at noon at the funeral home, followed by burial at Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate KY. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Elizabeth Hospice, 483 South Look Drive, Edgewood, KY 41017, or First Baptist Church of Ft. Thomas, 600 N. Ft. Thomas Avenue, KY 41075. Online condolences at www.dmefuneral.com.

Katie Meyer, beloved wife, daughter, mother, sister, grandmother, and friend, passed away on the morning of April 16 after a courageous battle with cancer. Katie will be remembered for the way she lived: fully, generously, and fearlessly. She was brilliant, vibrant, thoughtful, and kind. Her spirit, humor, and compassion left a lasting mark on everyone who knew her. Her loss is immeasurable, but so is the impact she leaves behind in the countless lives she touched around the world, in her community, and in her family. Katie was a proud Covingtonian; wherever she was in the world, Covington was always home. She grew up in Old Seminary Square, attended Sixth District and Latonia Elementary, and graduated from Covington Latin in 2000. While in high school, she competed on behalf of the United States in the 1999 Trampoline & Tumbling World Championships in South Africa. Katie earned a bachelors from the University of Kentucky and a Masters in Urban Policy from the New School in New York City. She travelled the world during her studies, immersing herself in South and Central America, working in public administration in New Delhi, India and in British Columbia, Canada. Yet her heart remained in Covington, and she returned here in 2010. When she returned, she embraced a mission to improve our city that she would never let go. Her dedication to that mission was profoundly evident in her work as Executive Director of Renaissance Covington from 2010 to 2019. Katie was a driving force behind the revitalization of downtown Covington. She championed economic growth, supported small businesses, and helped to cultivate Covington’s vibrant sense of place that so many continue to love today. Katie was instrumental in launching and growing community events including the Farmer’s Market, RoeblingFest, Art Off Pike, the Covington Night Bazaar, and the Running of the Goats, while also helping to lay the groundwork for the city’s long-term sustainability and success. In 2015, she became a published author when she co-wrote Walking Cincinnati, a guide that highlighted the history and culture of many Cincinnati and NKY neighborhoods. In 2017, the national organization Main Street America awarded Renaissance Covington the “Great American Main Street Award” in recognition of Katie’s accomplishments. In March 2012, Katie’s drive to build community led her and her wife, Bonnie, to open Pike Street Lounge, a vibrant gathering place built around creativity and hospitality. It stood as a reflection of Katie’s gift for bringing people together and spaces where others felt welcome - all while she was continuing her important placemaking work in a variety of other roles. After helping to create a public internet network in Covington, Katie joined Cincinnati Bell in 2019 to lead UniCity, the company’s national “smart cities” initiative. While at Cincinnati Bell/Altafiber, Katie worked with cities around the country, from Honolulu HI to Dayton OH, to broaden access to the internet and technology. In August of 2023, Katie became the CEO of the Downtown Dayton Partnership, where she championed economic development, supported small businesses, and helped create a more vibrant, connected, and inclusive community. While in Dayton, she served on the Board of Directors of Heritage Ohio, YWCA Dayton (OH), Boys and Girls Club of Dayton (OH). The Boys and Girls club of Dayton described Katie as “a remarkable leader, a courageous voice for equity, and a radical champion for young people.” Katie’s sense of leadership and civic duty was also evident through her roles in numerous other organizations, including serving as a board member for organizations such as Be Concerned, the Covington Business Council, the Kentucky Foundation for Women, and Skyward. Katie served on the development committees of the Esperanza Latino Center and the Life Learning Center, and chaired the Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky Awards in 2023. Yet there was perhaps no endeavor that illustrated Katie’s fiercely inclusive spirit better than her work with Northern Kentucky Pride and the NKY Pride Center. Katie was the incredibly tenacious and deeply organized driving force behind so much of the Northern Kentucky Pride Center’s work. She didn’t just believe in making Northern Kentucky a safer, more inclusive, and vibrant place for the LGBTQ+ community, she actively made it happen. She was a true advocate with a rare talent for turning ideas into action and making people - from first-time volunteers to long-time advocates - feel welcomed, valued, and essential. Whether she was helping lead the creation of the NKY Pride Awards, coordinating PrideFest and the parade, or simply connecting members of the community, Katie showed up when it mattered most. Always. Her impact will continue to be felt in the community she helped build and the example she set for others. Katie was also a devoted and beloved mother, and her children wish to share what she meant to them. She taught them to dream bigger than they ever imagined, and to believe they were capable of achieving anything - including traveling to places they once only dreamed of. She widened their perspectives on life in ways too countless to name, and was both a mentor and a hero to them. Katie is, and always will be, the light of their world. In her final year, her grandson Dax brought her endless joy - she was so very happy to be his Kkay and we are so deeply grateful that she got to spend that time loving him and being loved by him. Above all, Katie’s greatest love was her wife, Dr. Bonnie Meyer, who was the center of her world and her trusted partner. From the moment they met in 2011, they were inseparable–it was love at first sight. They wed in New York City’s Central Park in 2012, and together they built a life filled with love and passion - for each other, for their friends, and for a better world. She is also survived by her loving parents: Joe and Dale Meyer; children: Alyssa Nickles and Kyle (Jade) Nickles; brothers: Chris (Megan) Meyer, David (Marisa McNee) Meyer and Jon (Maranda) Meyer; grandchild: Dax Nickles; niece: Lydia Meyer and nephews: Lucas Meyer and Ryan Meyer. A celebration of Katie’s life will be announced in the coming days. Her family looks forward to gathering with all who loved her to honor the extraordinary life she lived. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that contributions be made in Katie’s memory to the NKY Pride Center, an organization close to her heart. Katie’s life was a gift, and her legacy will continue to live on in the communities she shaped and the people she inspired.

Charlene was born October 27, 1935 in Southgate, KY. Char was the daughter of Charles & Mildred Benzing. She graduated from Newport HS in 1953 and married her husband Andrew “Jack” Lawson in 1954. Jack preceded her in death on June 16, 2000. Char possessed a remarkable gift for music, which she shared generously through her life. She played piano, organ, violin and percussion, directed choirs, sang, danced, teaching both children and adults. Wherever she lived, she brought her musical talents to her community. Throughout their lives, Char and Jack made homes in KY, OH, NM, CA, IL, FL and MI, and along the way they explored the world together - visiting China, Russia and the Caribbean islands. She was a devoted member of Hazel Crest United Methodist Church in IL and later the First Presbyterian church in Coldwater, MI and directed choirs for both. Char’s greatest joy was her family. She is survived by her sons, Brian (Tamra) Lawson of Park Hills, KY and Craig (Tammy) Lawson of Carmel, IN; her grandchildren Ben (Sally) Lawson, Greg (Emily) Lawson and Andrew Lawson; and her great-grandchildren Beatrice, Jack, Cora and Annabelle Lawson. She is also survived by many cousins via her beloved Aunt Lorean Downs. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Louise Jean Steidel, age 84, of Cold Spring, passed away peacefully on October 3, 2025. Born to the late Pearl Thomas Baker and Nettie Herald, Louise dedicated her life to education and community service. She graduated from Silver Grove High School in 1959. She retired from Campbell County Schools as a beloved teacher who cared deeply for her students and their success. She was also a proud member of the NEA, KEA and Northern Kentucky Education Association (NKEA). Her daughters also referred to her as the KEA Queen. She was a part of the first graduating class of Northern Kentucky University (NKU). She was a devoted advocate for local politics and served as a champion of the Local Democratic Committee. Her faith was an important part of her life, and she was a faithful member of Living Hope Baptist Church in Fort Thomas. She was a huge sports fan of the Reds, Bengals, UK and Troy State. Louise was dedicated to the protection of turtles and saved every turtle that was crossing the road. She was preceded in death by her parents; her loving husband, Stanley Steidel; her daughter, Elizabeth Steidel; her brother, Pearl Edward Baker; her son-in-law, Steve Pelle; and her granddaughter, Paige Pelle. Louise is survived by her daughters, Jennifer (Joey) Jones and Melanie Pelle; her grandchildren, Steven Pelle, Jordyn Jones, and Joel (Ashley) Jones; and her great-grandchildren, Addy Pelle and Hudson Pelle. Visitation will be held on Friday, October 10, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Cooper Funeral Home. A private burial will follow for the family. In Lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 644 Linn St. Suite 1026. Cincinnati, OH 45203-1742 or the Campbell County Animal Shelter, 1989 Poplar Ridge Rd, Melbourne, KY 41059. Cooper Funeral Home is honored to serve the Steidel family during this time.

Mary Joan Hughes (née Poston) “Joan” of Fort Wright passed away on September 22, 2025. Born on October 11, 1938, in Newport, Kentucky, she was the daughter of Cecil Francis Poston and Mary Agnes Poston (née Duvelius). She was married for 67 years to her loving and devoted husband, Terry. Joan leaves a beautiful legacy of family, friends, and accomplishments. Cherished for her fierceness, her kindness, and her joyful, fun-loving spirit, she will be profoundly missed and will remain in our hearts forever. She is survived by her husband Terry, her sons Matthew Hughes (Lynn) and Patrick Hughes (Michelle), her nephew (who is truly a son to her) Jeff Poston (Danielle), and her grandchildren Meredith Hughes, Nicholas Hughes (Cara), Kevin Henke (Megan), Patrick Henke (Robyn), Stephen Henke (Paige), Emma Hughes, Julia Hughes, Brody Poston, and Jacob Poston. She is preceded in death by her parents, her siblings Eileen Poston, James Poston, Thomas Poston, Patricia Frost, Rosemary Dean, William Poston, and Robert Poston, and her dearest daughter Monica Hughes Henke (Pete). Visitation will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2025, beginning at 9:00am at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington, Kentucky, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00AM. Joan will be interred at St. Mary Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky.

William David “Dave” Strategier January 2, 1950 – August 9, 2025 William David “Dave” Strategier, 75, of Covington, Kentucky, passed away peacefully on August 9, 2025. Born in Covington on January 2, 1950, Dave grew up in Fort Wright, where he developed his lifelong love for sports, storytelling, and a good laugh. A graduate of Northern Kentucky University, Dave earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business before beginning a successful career in banking. He was well known for his easy charm, quick wit, and knack for connecting with people from all walks of life. His passions were as colorful as his personality—whether he was handicapping the ponies at the track, chasing birdies on the golf course, cheering on Kentucky basketball, or savoring a fine bourbon, Dave lived with enthusiasm and an appreciation for the good things in life. He also liked to live simply, as evidenced by his faithfully consistent weekly grocery list—purchased by his daughter each week—which never strayed far from his tried-and-true favorites. Friends and family will fondly remember his daily weather updates and his tradition of reading—and then recapping—the local newspapers, making sure everyone was informed about the region’s happenings (and maybe a few extra details). Dave is survived by his daughter Lindsey (Mark Collier); grandsons Benny and Landon; brothers Kenny (Dixie) and Giles (Gina); former wife Karen; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents William and Marcia (Witte) Strategier, and by his beloved son, Brent “Bo” Strategier. In accordance with his wishes, Dave has donated his body to the University of Cincinnati Medical School, and no immediate services will be held. A celebration of his life will be planned at a later date, where friends and family will be encouraged to share a memory, a laugh, or a toast in his honor. Dave’s warm heart, clever humor, and unshakable love for family will be deeply missed—but his stories, sayings, and spirit will live on every time we hear the crack of a golf club, the roar of Rupp Arena, or the rustle of a fresh newspaper.